2019 "Mongolian Horse Cup" Qiansen Aohan 100 International Ultra Trail Race Concludes Successfully

The 2019 "Mongolian Horse Cup" Qiansen Aohan 100 International Ultra Trail Race (referred to as "Aohan 100") was successfully held on June 15 in Sijiazi Town, Aohan Banner, Chifeng City. The Aohan 100 has received official certification from ITRA (International Trail Running Association) and has been successfully included as a qualifying race for the UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc), making it the only ITRA and UTMB points race in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region this year.

As a newly established trail running event in China, the first edition of Aohan 100 adhered to the open concept of "trail running for all," with no entry barriers. The three categories—30KM, 50KM, and 100KM—attracted nearly 400 participants, including international runners from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, and Japan.

The Aohan 100 was jointly organized by the Sports Bureau of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the People's Government of Chifeng City, hosted by the Sports Bureau of Chifeng City and the People's Government of Aohan Banner, and co-organized by the People's Governments of Sijiazi Town, Jinchanggouliang Town, and Xinhuai Town in Aohan Banner. It was operated by the Aohan Banner Culture, Tourism, and Sports Bureau and Beijing Qiansen Sports Culture Investment Development Co., Ltd.

This edition of Aohan 100 invited four renowned domestic trail running elites—“Plateau Tank” Wang Xiaolin, “Earth’s Strongest Scout” Zhang Zhenlong, “Record Breaker” Lin Xiao, and “Middle-to-Long Distance Finisher” Shi Shengli.

After fierce competition, 3111-numbered athlete Yang Zhihui won the men’s 30KM championship with a time of 03:17:46, while the women’s title was claimed by W3128-numbered athlete Sun Xiuyan with a time of 04:10:47.

In the 50KM category, 9527-numbered Shi Shengli dominated the field, crossing the finish line well ahead of his competitors and taking the men’s title with ease, clocking 04:24:01. In the women’s division, W5057-numbered Li Yuhong secured first place with a time of 07:37:52.

In the 100KM men’s category—the longest segment of the race—a star-studded field saw three elite athletes compete fiercely. Right from the start, 6666-numbered Zhang Zhenlong took the lead and maintained his advantage all the way to the finish, winning the championship with an outstanding time of 11:46:21. 0123-numbered Lin Xiao secured second place with 13:51:48, and 0080-numbered Wang Xiaolin took third with 15:58:33. The women’s champion was W1071-numbered Li Hongxia with a time of 18:15:57.

 

"Running the course, I felt the initial climbs were quite steep, with two or three small hills. The difficulty was moderate, perfect for amateur trail runners." Elite athlete Shi Shengli, who was trying the Aohan 100 for the first time, eagerly shared his experience shortly after resting post-race. "Especially the route markings—organizers did an incredibly detailed job. There seemed to be a sign every five meters, so runners rarely went off course, something many other major races I’ve done can’t even manage."

 Zhang Zhenlong during the race

The 100KM veteran Zhang Zhenlong also commented on his first impression of the course: "Before the race, I thought the climbing wasn’t too tough and it would be relatively easy, but clearly I underestimated it. The difficulty increased later, and the terrain got more complex. It felt harder than the Hong Kong 100. My time was a bit slower than expected. What stood out to me was the incredible atmosphere of the Aohan 100—it’s the best I’ve seen at any domestic race. The event philosophy is also fantastic."

He added, "The landscape around Aohan is very well preserved. Along the way, I saw lots of wildlife—pheasants, rabbits, cows—and I even encountered an owl and some adorable deer. From a cultural perspective, this is the most community-supported trail race I’ve participated in. In every village I passed, the locals were incredibly welcoming. Not only did they cheer me on, but many kids aged four or five ran alongside me for a few hundred meters to encourage me."

The second-place finisher in the 100KM category, elite athlete Lin Xiao, joked while refueling: "I really liked the food at Aohan 100, especially the beer. Looks like I’ll have to compete with Baling for beer at future races." Having competed in 11 races this year and already won 7 championships and 3 runner-up spots, he still “complained bitterly” about the latter part of the course: "Who says this is an entry-level course? I’ll fight them over this. Overall, I think CP8 to CP9 was the toughest—every step felt like jumping off a cliff. This was probably the most emotionally rollercoaster race for me."

Meanwhile, all eyes were on the arrival of the “Plateau Tank,” Wang Xiaolin. Organizers had already opened beer at the finish line, eagerly awaiting his arrival. Amid cheers and applause, Wang Xiaolin crossed the finish line smoothly. "The terrain really had that Inner Mongolian character—rolling hills, climbing nearly 4,000 meters in elevation, it was quite challenging."

Beyond his firsthand experience of the course, Wang Xiaolin had an unexpected highlight during his trip to Aohan: "Apart from my favorite beer, what really won me over this time was the millet porridge. When the temperature dropped sharply, it warmed me up and gave me the strength to keep going. Aohan millet really lives up to its reputation!"

 

Regarding the racecourse highly praised by elites, Mr. Zhang Hongmin, Director of the Aohan Banner Culture and Sports Bureau, also shared its background with us: "Previously, the cyclocross and BMX racing professional events held in Aohan received positive feedback, boosting our confidence in hosting events for development. Last winter, on the basis of ensuring logistical support, the Culture and Sports Bureau sincerely invited industry insiders and the chairman of Qiansen Group to survey the route. The Aohan 100 racecourse you see now was completed after more than half a year, with dozens of days and nights of on-site exploration, measurement, marking, and line setting by the behind-the-scenes team."

 

Sports events have become a cultural symbol and urban hallmark. Creating new formats and models of "sports+," promoting deep industrial integration, carefully crafting branded events, and nurturing the entire sports industry chain are important measures for Aohan Banner—the host city of Aohan 100—to cultivate the sports industry into a new growth pole for economic development.

Aohan 100 is committed to providing runners with top-notch event services. In addition to the exciting and intense races, distinctive local performances, whole roasted lamb activities, and rich, comprehensive replenishment food have also received support and praise from the runners.

In addition, Aohan 100 closely integrates local culture with the event. All finishers will receive double servings of "Aohan Millet," and the champions of each category will be gifted an Aohan jade pig-dragon, while the second and third place winners will receive an Aohan jade medallion. The city’s branding as the "Hometown of World Millet," the "Birthplace of 8,000-Year-Old Dragon Culture," and the "Source of Chinese Jade Culture," along with Aohan’s culture, will spread both domestically and internationally as the event’s influence grows.

 

Moreover, the Aohan 100 racecourse incorporates Aohan Banner’s long historical heritage and profound cultural richness. Along the way, it passes through historical sites with characteristics of the Lower Xiajiadian Culture, blending culture and scenery to touch ancient times and sense history. Aohan Banner holds some of the earliest cultural traces of Chinese civilization and is also the "important birthplace of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and ancestor worship." Runners enjoy a unique experience exploring history and immersing themselves in natural wildness in the "place where the sun of civilization rises."

Aohan 100 aims to showcase Aohan’s cultural characteristics and highlight the city’s charm through the event. It leverages the "attention-grabbing and traffic-guiding" role of sports events to promote the integrated development of Aohan’s sports industry and establish Aohan’s international image as a "City of Health and Vitality."

In addition to Aohan 100, this year Aohan and Qiansen will also jointly host the UCI BMX Racing Olympic Qualifier and the UCI Cyclocross Professional Level 1 Race on August 17-18 and September 1. On the Aohan BMX international stage, Chinese athletes and Asian champions Lu Yan and Zhang Yaru will compete for China’s qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. A host of world-class athletes will gather in Aohan to compete. Stay tuned！